Social democracy

Once again, today’s Scripture readings emphasize God’s law of love for all humanity. The Letter of James (5:1-6) condemns the rich who live in luxury and exploit the poor and underprivileged, while the Gospel reading (Mk. 9: 38-48) speaks of God’s universal love and justice for all. And once again, we realize how our laissez-faire capitalistic system is so incongruous with God’s plan for mankind. Now that we recognize the late Ninoy Aquino as a national hero, let me focus on his conversion experience while in prison, found in his writings which were later published by his beloved widow, the late Cory Aquino. A few excerpts from his Testament From A Prison Cell are worth quoting here:

“In time, I came to accept: Capitalism must be reformed by an ideology that will restore the original balance between economic and political freedom.

“Capitalism must be corrected by vigorous anti-monopoly legislation, supplemented more positively by social welfare and security measures than now exist. Basic economic decisions must be made by the community -— the government — and not by private owners of the means of production. More efficient national economic planning must be adopted to husband our meager resources and bring the greatest good to the greatest number. I believe in a Christian Democratic Socialist ideology that will harmonize political freedom with social and economic equality, taking and merging the best of the primary conflicting systems — communism and capitalism. I believe in the Christian Socialist ideology that seeks to establish a set of rational, pragmatic, empirically viable criteria that qualify an industry for nationalization. I agree that monopolies in private hands must never be allowed. I also believe that basic and strategic industries must be nationalized, because it is too dangerous to leave the determination of national needs and priorities in the hands of a few. My primary concern is national interest and the general welfare, not nationalization.”

That was Ninoy Aquino. Today, the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) under the leadership of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez is strongly advocating a very similar and even more articulated ideology and program for our country. Their slogan:

We need a change of system, not just a change of leaders.

It is time for social democracy.

In my limited space here, I cannot do justice in fully explaining the God-inspired principles and programs of the PDSP. But let me try my best, with the prayer that more and more of our citizens and leaders may be actively involved in supporting social democracy, for the common good of our people and the future of our country.

Social democracy rightfully condemns the evils of liberal democracy in a pre-existing situation of grave social inequality. Liberal democracy, while theoretically promoting formal equality under the law, does not promote equal social power, so that the already powerful gain all the more power, because they have the economic and intellectual means and social connections to use the law to their own advantage. Liberal democracy in the Philippines amounts to “elite politics”: the participation of and advantage to the economically and socially prominent families and individuals or their media allies.

Our social democrats advocate reforms in three main systems of society: the economy, politics, and culture.

Economy: A socially equitable and sustainable economy through the following:

• socially equitable by appropriate government intervention to protect and improve the income, safety, health, and welfare of the citizens, especially the working people

• sustainable by safeguards for the integrity and health of the natural environment

Politics: A participative and formative democracy through:

• substantial participation of the citizens in social discussion and governance

• systemic formation of the citizenry in the values, knowledge and skills for effectively engaging in civil life and public affairs

Culture: An authentically humanist culture that is

• interfaith in basis

• formally expressed in human ethics

• favorable to moral renewal through work for the common good and promotion of virtues _ personal, domestic and civic – especially patriotism, honesty, and diligence.

I end this brief presentation by emphasizing that all the social teachings of the Church are socialist in ideology – from Pope Leo XIII to our present Pope Benedict XVI.

May the merciful Lord lead us to elect national leaders in 2010 who will carry out the prophetic vision of Ninoy Aquino, the principles and programs of social democracy, all in harmony with the social teachings of the Church. Maka-Diyos. Maka-Tao. Maka-Bayan.